The fourth officer’s story.

We were sleeping one night on the roof, when a woman made her way into the house and gathering into a bundle all that was therein, took it up, that she might go away with it.  Now she was great with child and near upon her term and the hour of her deliverance; so, when she made up the bundle and offered to shoulder it and make off with it, she hastened the coming of the pangs of labour and gave birth to a child in the dark.  Then she sought for the flint and steel and striking a light, kindled the lamp and went round about the house with the little one, and it was weeping. [The noise awoke us,] as we lay on the roof, and we marvelled.  So we arose, to see what was to do, and looking down through the opening of the saloon,[FN#112] saw a woman, who had kindled the lamp, and heard the little one weeping.  She heard our voices and raising her eyes to us, said, “Are ye not ashamed to deal with us thus and discover our nakedness?  Know ye not that the day belongeth to you and the night to us?  Begone from us!  By Allah, were it not that ye have been my neighbours these [many] years, I would bring down the house upon you!” We doubted not but that she was of the Jinn and drew back our heads; but, when we arose on the morrow, we found that she had taken all that was with us and made off with it; wherefore we knew that she was a thief and had practised [on us] a device, such as was never before practised; and we repented, whenas repentance advantaged us not.’

When the company heard this story, they marvelled thereat with the utmost wonderment.  Then the fifth officer, who was the lieutenant of the bench,[FN#113] came forward and said, ’[This is] no wonder and there befell me that which is rarer and more extraordinary than this.

The fifth officer’s story.

As I sat one day at the door of the prefecture, a woman entered and said to me privily, “O my lord, I am the wife of such an one the physician, and with him is a company of the notables[FN#114] of the city, drinking wine in such a place.”  When I heard this, I misliked to make a scandal; so I rebuffed her and sent her away.  Then I arose and went alone to the place in question and sat without till the door opened, when I rushed in and entering, found the company engaged as the woman had set out, and she herself with them.  I saluted them and they returned my greeting and rising, entreated me with honour and seated me and brought me to eat.  Then I informed them how one had denounced them to me, but I had driven him[FN#115] away and come to them by myself; wherefore they thanked me and praised me for my goodness.  Then they brought out to me from among them two thousand dirhems[FN#116] and I took them and went away.